A Lonely Hat
by Me ABC
Summary: A new view of Javert's hat.


I sit high upon the head of the law, and together we will imprison anyone we consider is breaking it. No matter whether you are young or old, even if you are related to us you must keep within the law. I have sat here for years and seen so many come, but not many go. Valjean is the only one that slipped through our fingers but, in time, we will get him too. He thought it clever to try to evade us, but this man is so ridiculous. He does not know Javert very well.

Javert is very like myself , ruthless in everything he does, so much so that he goes no where without me. The dark blue I am with my silver badge makes Javert the man he likes to be considered as, the man of authority, but he forgets that I am the one in charge. My power is what drives him and brings the wayward to justice. But let me explain how the two of us were paired, and how fate had its hand in our journey.

I was sat in a hat shop and for a long time I was lifted up on to heads of gentleman, but put back onto the shelf. In time I thought that I was too tattered to be cared for, my edges were starting to fray and my colour was fading. The dust was settling around me and spiders were making my creases home. I would silent cry out but, of course, no one heard me.

One day I was dusted off and tried on but the head was too big for me so of course, my seams started to tear away and I was tossed into the reject bin by the hat maker. I felt so lost and worthless, if I could cry tears I would have been crying myself to sleep every night. It felt like an age that I was left in the bin with the other destroyed hats until a man who was quite poor came looking for a hat for a special occasion. He saw me lying in the rejects and feel in love with me straight away but I was in a bad state. Luckily his wife was good at repairing things so he bought me for 3 Francs but it doesn't finish there.

His wife dusted me off and went about repairing my tears but she thought I had something missing, she wasn't sure what it was until she went through her jewellery box. There she found a broken silver medal that was given to her grandfather and went about stitching it on to me. Her husband looked so smart wearing me but it was for only one occasion so again I was put aside.

I was put in a box and sat on the shelf until the wife decided to have a clear out months later. She sold me back to the hat maker that I was originally bought from but this time instead of being put on the shelf he thought I was worthy enough to have pride of place in the window display. I sat there proudly for days with only the most distinguished trying me on.

One wonderful summer's day a prison guard came into the shop looking for a hat to show his authority. He tried on a lot of hats before my silver medal caught his eye and he immediately told the hat maker he wanted to try me on. In the beginning the hat maker was a little wary that Javert's head would be to big for me but as soon as he put me there I knew this was the place I belonged and this would be the start of something wonderful.

To begin with Javert only wore me for certain occasions but as time went on I would go everywhere with him. It got to the stage where he would even lie me on the pillow next to him in bed and keep me on his head whilst he bathed. We became inseparable and our bond grew stronger and stronger.

Then he came across a prisoner called Valjean and I felt my power grow within him. We followed this criminal all around and although we met a few times the most famous time was on the barricade when those rebels wanted to murder Javert and Valjean allowed him his freedom. I felt the power drain from myself and Javert at this time as he allowed guilty to creep up through us and eventually consume us. Javert committed suicide because of this and of course that left me alone again.

Now I tell you this story from the shelf I have sat on for the last 12 years getting dusty and tattered again until some loving soul decides to rescue me again or put me out of this misery.


End file.
